Return
by nikham3
Summary: It's been three years since Joey left New York to live in LA. Now he's on his way back but will the changes in his friends be too much to handle? Not just Joey's POV. Please Read and Review! COMPLETE!
1. Joey INTRO

So basically since "Joey" the spin-off sorta bombed, I'm continuing on after

So basically since "Joey" the spin-off sorta bombed, I'm continuing on after. I only saw like half of the first season of Joey before I decided I liked "Friends" better, as did many people. But I researched the spin-off generally and I'm going to put together the pieces as well as I can without using too much of information from the series. That's why this is a "Friends" fanfic.

On the whole flight, all Joey could think about was seeing his friends. It had been three long years, and not a single visit. Hearing Chandler's jokes over the phone just weren't as funny (as if they ever had been) as they were in person. He could only imagine Ross's facial expressions when he told those boring stories about dinosaurs and such. He missed Phoebe's ditzy moments, because he couldn't get those over e-mail. Rachel and Emma would call him every once in a while but he hadn't seen Emma for so long, except for pictures, and it would be strange seeing how much she's grown. But most of all, he missed Monica's cooking. She had told him that she actually hadn't been cooking so much, since the twins were so time-consuming, but he could still imagine smelling her turkey when he was 3,000 miles away.

His stomach was in knots. It was so hard making the decision to come back. L.A. just wasn't for him, he guessed. Of course he still wanted to be an actor, but with so many opportunities in L.A. dangling in his face and then being suddenly stripped away, he had decided to move back to New York and pursue his modeling career for a little while. Besides, many people had told him he was all looks and no brains anyways. Psh, he would prove them wrong. As soon as he was famous as a model, (and not a model for STD's, an actual model like Calvin Klein or Sak's Fifth Avenue) he would emerge as an actor.

He jumped as a flight attendant's voice shattered the silence of the airplane, "We'll be landing in JFK in about ten minutes. Please fasten your seatbelts and turn off all electronic devices. Place your trays in the upright position and remain seated." With a slight beep, she was gone. The crowded flight contained many different characters: the bald man snoring in the aisle seat across from Joey who reminded him of his father, many many beautiful girls, and this loud woman seated in the front of the plane that kept asking the flight attendant when the plane landed. This woman had provoked the flight attendant to give status reports every twenty minutes on their location.

Joey began to shove all his personal belongings in his backpack. Magazines, a few copies of his resume, some business cards a few women had given him, his sunglasses, and a few letters he had taken the time to write on the six-hour flight non-stop from L.A. to NYC. The letters were to his sister, his nephew, and Alex. It was hard leaving them, but he definitely needed to be with his five friends more. He pulled out a folder of pictures that he had kept over the three years. They were Christmas cards, school pictures of Ben and one of Emma, family photos of vacations to Canada, and most importantly one of the five of his friends all together.

He felt the descent of the plane, he knew because his bladder suddenly shifted. Landing always made him nervous. It has to be more likely to get in a plane accident while landing than in mid-air. Visions of the plane erupting in flames as the nose collided with the runway flooded Joey's head and he shook them.

The next fifteen minutes drug on so slowly. He sat near the back of the plane so he had to wait (impatiently, though) while the slowpokes in front of him took their sweet time removing their luggage from the overhead bins and trodding down the aisle towards the exit.

But when that was all over, he appeared out of the long tunnel and into the crowded New York airport. He half expected Monica to have pushed her way through security to meet him at the gate. She had kids now, and Rachel said she wasn't so obsessive-compulsive anymore, but still he had the feeling Monica would be waiting at the gate for him. When he didn't see her, his mind raced. So much had changed. Maybe he was just overreacting, I mean airport security isn't that easy to get through. Not even Monica Geller could push her way through. But still, what else had changed? Was Chandler "Mr. Responsibility" now that he had kids? Was Rachel successful and emotionally stable? Maybe Phoebe and Mike are even starting to settle down. Is Ross the life of the party? He laughed at the last thought. Never.

When his panic ceased, he continued to follow the directions to Baggage Claim. His heart jumped a little. Chandler was there with that big goofy smile on his face. Ross was standing next to him with an even goofier face. Phoebe… what?

"Joey!" the three friends exclaimed.

"Hey guys!" Joey smiled but he couldn't stop staring at Phoebe.

"Hey guess what?" Phoebe joked. "I'm pregnant!"


	2. Phoebe

Phoebe's laugh rang through the buzzing airport

Phoebe's laugh rang through the buzzing airport. She looked over and saw Ross and Chandler chuckling, of course they had known and Joey didn't. She was kind of nervous, however, that Joey's face didn't change for a whole thirty seconds after she told him the big news.

"Joey, are you okay?" she asked, slightly worried she might have just given her best friend a heart attack or a stroke.

"Yeah, yeah, just… you're pregnant?" he replied barely moving his face. She nodded and he asked, "How come you didn't tell me?"

Her worry disappeared and she giggled, "Well I was just about to tell you over the phone when you announced you were moving back. I was so excited that I had forgotten to tell you and then after that, Mike and I decided it would be a good surprise!"

"So when's it due?!" his face finally changed from stunned to excited.

"Sometime next month!" Chandler chimed in.

"Boy or girl?" Joey continued to interrogate.

"Shhhh!" Ross interjected while placing a hand over Chandler's mouth. "Mike knows but Phoebe told us in the very beginning she doesn't want to know."

Joey smiled. "So you don't know what you're going to name it?"

"Oh no, not quite yet. I was thinking Tallulah, but ya know, Mike just wouldn't go for it," Phoebe answered.

Joey laughed. Phoebe couldn't help but notice the physical changes in Joey. He had gotten tanner of course, being out in the sun and by the beach and such. But stronger? Yes, Joey's arms were bigger. She had heard everyone in L.A. works out, she didn't know she had never been there, but was Joey one of them? Maybe it was the fact that Joey was wearing a t-shirt and shorts even though it was late August and pretty chilly in New York. Oh, but he didn't know, it was still probably a hundred degrees in L.A. She wondered what the transition must be like for him.

"So where are Rachel and Monica?" Joey asked when they had all piled in Chandler's car.

"At the house," Chandler replied without turning to look at Joey, who sat in the back. Of course, he couldn't turn around, he was driving. "We're surprising you with a little get-together like old times."

"Monica's cooking," Ross added with an elbow to Joey's ribs. Phoebe sat in the front seat and laughed while Joey clapped his hands excitedly. Poor thing hadn't eaten a forkful of Monica food since he left.

Her stomach kicked. "Oh, oh you guys!" Phoebe exclaimed. "He or she is kicking! Feel, Joey!" She placed Joey's hand on her tummy and he groaned as he stretched uncomfortably, sprawling all over Ross just to feel her baby.

"Oh my, he… or she… is strong!" Joey laughed. "I still can't believe you're pregnant."

"Yeah, I know I had told Mike that I didn't know if I wanted kids, but everybody else was doing it," Phoebe smiled.

Chandler and Ross laughed. They both had two children and when it came to it, Phoebe realized that in a month or so Joey would be the only one without a baby. He was what, forty-something now right? She was forty, and he had to be older than her, maybe.

It was a long drive, with Ross narrating the adventures of the past three years in a long story that was probably twice as long as it should have been. He had a tendency to ramble on… They pulled up at the house. Chandler and Monica's beautiful house, the one they had worked so hard to get. Phoebe smiled thinking about how perfect it actually was. Little Erica and Jack each had their own room, Chandler and Monica had a bedroom and Chandler had an office, and they even had a room for Joey.

After the guys unloaded all of Joey's luggage from the back of Chandler's civic, they walked into the house and dropped his stuff just inside the door. Rachel came running when she heard Joey call, "Honey, I'm home!" Phoebe had laughed but of course it was a little corny. Nobody cared, actually, because they had missed Joey so much. He could say whatever he wanted until they all died and nobody would care, maybe.

After Rachel had hugged Joey a super long time, she led him into the kitchen where Monica stood in her old apron and standing over the stove. "Miss me?" Joey asked jokingly, and she turned around a little too sharp and dropped a bunch of silverware on the floor. Again, Phoebe noticed the greeting wasn't so cleverly planned but she didn't care. Ross scooped down to pick up the silverware, while Joey worked his hardest to interpret Monica's high-pitched squeals.

"Joey!" she practically jumped up and down. "Oh my GOD! I'm making your favorite-- meatball subs!"

He rubbed his tummy and moaned, "Mmmmmmm. Mon, you don't even know how good your food smells to me right now. I've eaten Chinese take-out and pizza for so long."

She laughed and Erica and Jack tumbled in through the backyard door with Emma trailing behind. Erica looked almost exactly like her birth-mother, Erica. She had bright blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Jack, compared to his radiant sister, was a little darker. His hair was a kind of sandy color and he had duller blue eyes. But he was still gorgeous. Emma, now four and only a year older than her so-called "cousins," looked most like Rachel. She had blonde hair, originally bright blonde but in the past few years, Phoebe noticed it had gotten darker. Emma had brown eyes, just as dark as Ross's, and she definitely had his arrogant smile… not to mention his bossy attitude. Being an only child, other than Ben (Ben was now 12, but he lived with Carol and Susan so he didn't see Emma so much), Emma was admittedly spoiled. Rachel was terrible at refusing Emma's requests. The adults had tolerated it, but she is still reprimanded for it often.

Over dinner, Joey shared his exciting stories of Los Angeles, girls he had met, jobs he had tried out for and lost, and it even came to him explaining his new career choice: modeling. Soon after dinner and a "Welcome Home Joey!" cake, Ross and Rachel had to leave because Emma was becoming exhausted and quite frankly, annoying. Chandler had put Erica and Jack to bed. Even Joey was weary when Phoebe got up to leave, so Chandler had taken him to his room and Phoebe stepped out the door hearing Chandler say, "Goodnight Joey, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!"


	3. Chandler

Chandler sipped his coffee slowly and read the comics of the morning newspaper

Okay, age doesn't matter so just ignore it. If you remember from my last chapter, Phoebe didn't even know and so I really don't want to go through and make sure everyone is exactly the right age. ESPECIALLY SINCE IT PLAYS NO PART IN THE STORY. Oh, and I'm not a lazy writer because I don't want to look up how old they are, I just don't want to go through ten years of episodes to decipher how old each character is. ESPECIALLY SINCE IT DOESN'T MATTER. Thank you, continue reading.

Chandler sipped his coffee slowly and read the comics of the morning newspaper. The kids were still sleeping and Monica had a job interview in the city. Since the kids were starting preschool next week, she would have more time to work. Plus, she wanted to save up money to buy herself a car so she could get herself around, because Chandler's civic just wasn't gonna cut it to get the four of them transported in the city. Oh, and usually taxis don't roam the streets of the suburbs.

"Morning!" Joey cheered.

"Hey, Joe, I know you're probably still tired and all but Mike was wondering if we would do something for him," Chandler replied with a smile.

Joey groaned, "C'mon Chandler, I thought it was just going to be me, you, and Ross hanging out like old times. You know beer in one hand, TV remote in the other, talking about your naggy wives and the hot girls I sleep with." He smiled arrogantly.

"Joey, it will be me, you, and Ross just hanging out, but a little more productive version of hanging out," Chandler laughed.

Joey nodded, "Fine, whatever. Dumb Mike."

An hour later, Joey and Chandler were at Mike's door step, Chandler holding the hand of each of the twins. "Hello!" Mike exclaimed as he swung the door open. "Listen, I'm so happy you could come. I've booked Phoebe up with massage clients all day, but unfortunately that means I'm also booked up in a bunch of business stuff, it would just take too long to explain. I got the paint here, but I don't want Phoebe to even guess what color it is because it will give it away. Chandler, I love Erica and Jack, but you know how kids are? They just can't keep a secret and I will NOT ruin this for Phoebe. So, Rachel, Ross and Emma are here and Rachel has agreed to entertain the kids while you boys paint the room with Ross. Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge, feel free to take a break, and I'll probably be in my office hooked up to my computer all day. Nag me if you need anything!"

By the time Mike's speech was over, Chandler, Joey, and the kids were inside and meeting with Rachel, Ross and Emma. As Mike grabbed a beer and headed into a back room of his and Phoebe's apartment, the men were in another bedroom staring at a couple buckets of paint and the associated tools.

"So, since you've never told me, I'm thinking we're painting the baby's nursery?" Joey asked Chandler.

"Yep," Chandler replied, grabbing a screwdriver and taking it to the paint can.

"So, uh, what color are we painting?" Joey asked.

Chandler thought. Should he tell Joey? Could Joey keep a secret? Well, it was Joey who had found out about him and Monica sleeping together, and he hadn't told. Or had he? Someone told Rachel. And Phoebe. Did Joey tell them? No, of course not. Joey was his best friend, he wouldn't tell anybody something like that. Or would he? But he wouldn't tell Phoebe because he knew how much she wanted to keep it unknown. Yes, yes, Chandler would have to eventually show him. Especially, since he would be painting it on soon anyways. As he opened the can with the flathead, he could see Joey's eyes open up.

Blue.

Chandler had already known the sex, but Joey gasped. Ross giggled.

"It's a boy!" Joey exclaimed. He paused. "Right?"

Ross laughed, "Yes, of course… blue means boy. But don't go spreading it around. Phoebe is serious about not knowing the sex before it is born."

Joey nodded, "You got it, dude."

Two hours later, the guys were exhausted. Two and a half walls had been painted, only the first coat of course. Since the paint was so thin, it took a while to spread it all out. Ross dropped his paintbrush and Chandler looked over. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"How about we take a lunch break?" Ross proposed.

"Sure, I could go for a sandwich," Joey said, predictable enough.

Before leaving the room, Chandler noticed a little worry line creasing Ross's forehead. "What's wrong, man?"

"Nothing, I just have something to tell you guys. I just don't know when or…"

"Spit it out!" Joey jeered.

Chandler worried, what could his news be? Rachel was pregnant again. Oh no. No, Carol's pregnant. Carol's a lesbian, scratch that. Unless Ross was cheating on Rachel with Carol. Odd. No, no, it was something dumb like he had to give a very important lecture on dinosaurs or old people or something.

"I think… I think I wanna maybe, propose," Ross stuttered.

"Propose? To who?" Joey asked.

"Rachel, stupid!" He scolded.

Joey sat down. He shook his head and muttered something to himself.

"Joey, aw c'mon Joey I'm sorry," Ross put his hand on Joey's back, "I didn't mean to call you stupid."

He scowled.

"You okay, Joey?" Chandler asked.

Joey answered, "Well, no. I mean ever since I've gotten here you guys have just dropped these nuclear bombs on me and now I don't know where I am. I mean, Chandler, you and Monica have a family and you have a job, a house, and a car. Phoebe and Mike are married and are going to have a kid. Now, Ross, you and Rachel are going to get married and have a functional family. I'm the only single, child-less man of the group right now."

"Joey, don't even do that to yourself," Ross replied. "Look, we're not girls (or at least, me and Joey aren't), so we don't exactly know how to do this heart to heart thing. Basically, Joey, you've got the life every man our age wants: you don't have a nine to five job, you're not tied down so you get to sleep with as many girls as you want, and you don't have to pay bills or take the kids to daycare. Face it, you've got the dream life."

"Well, if it's such a dream life, why don't you do it? Why don't you just dump Rachel, quit your job and forget all your responsibilities? I'm just ready to move on and get married, but I want to meet the right girl," Joey explained.

Chandler shook his head, "You know what? This is really girly, so let's just say 'suck it up, Joey,' and go get some sandwiches. Things will work out, Joe, just later on."

"So do you think that I should propose?" Ross directed his question towards Chandler.

Chandler thought: Ross and Rachel getting married. It would be the perfect family. They had a four-year-old daughter, lived together and loved each other. Why the heck not? However, Ross had failed three marriages. But one of them had been Rachel, and that was a whole Vegas thing. Yeah, that hadn't worked out too well but maybe this time it would work out. Ever since Rachel's almost leave for Paris, they have been dating (and not off and on by the way), and Chandler (well actually Monica had noticed first) noticed that they had been lovey-dovey for almost three years. Maybe it was time they got married.

"So Chandler, do you? Do you think I should propose to Rachel?" Ross asked.

Chandler nodded, "Yes, I do… Hmm. Funny choice of words?"

The guys chuckled, and walked into the kitchen while Rachel made them all ham and cheese sandwiches. Ross kept smiling at his friends with a goofy smirk as Rachel spoke. No, Ross was the one terrible at keeping secrets.

"Hey honey," Rachel asked, "Emma wants one of those new fancy toothbrushes, you know, the ones that play Hannah Montana inside your mouth. Do you think you could stop by and grab one later?"

"Rachel," Ross sighed, "Emma does NOT need a Hannah Montana toothbrush."

"C'mon Ross, she doesn't ask for THAT much," Rachel moaned, "You can at least stop by the store and buy your only daughter a stinkin' toothbrush? And I do not want to hear 'MOMMMM I can't hear Honnuh Montanuh in my mowwwth!'"


	4. Rachel

"No, Monica, I will not let you buy that hideous scarf

"No, Monica, I will not let you buy that hideous scarf!" Rachel exclaimed as they sat in their favorite coffee shop, Central Perk.

"It is not hideous!" Monica argued. They were, of course, discussing the burgundy and black scarf Monica had recently discovered on her shopping day with Rachel.

Phoebe laughed, "Yes, Mon, it sort of is."

"How much is it?" Chandler asked, eyebrows raised.

"It's on sale," Monica quickly said, "70 off."

Rachel chuckled, "There's a reason for that, Mon." Rachel looked over and noticed Ross and Joey were having a separate conversation. She was about to ask what they were talking about when an idea popped in her head. Joey was explaining his sexual experiences in LA to Ross. Both were smiling, it was obvious. And Ross looked nervous.

"The baby is kicking again!" Phoebe squealed. Joey was the first to jump and touch her tummy. It had been a week and a half since he had first felt Phoebe's stomach kicking and he was still ecstatic when Phoebe announced her belly sensations. His joy always made Rachel happy too; he was so much like a child that it was entertaining to see him laugh.

"Hey Phoebes, what do you say we hang out? I mean, I'd like to get my time with you before this baby takes all your attention," Joey asked.

Phoebe laughed, "You're such a child, you're almost jealous of my baby. It's not even born yet!" The group laughed.

Joey replied, "I am! I mean, breastfeeding and everything." This statement prompted the group to remember when Carol was breastfeeding Ben.

"Hey Phoebe," Chandler started to set up his joke, "Are you ever going to drink your own milk?"

"Nah," Phoebe shrugged, "Carol's was enough for the next twenty years."

Joey rubbed his stomach, "Yeahhh that was good." Ross looked nervous, Rachel noticed. Yeah, typical Ross. "So, Phoebe I'll walk you back to your apartment," Joey redirected his purpose.

"Okay, it's not so close but I could use the fresh air," Phoebe smiled sweetly. Rachel grinned. Phoebe would be a wonderful mother. She's already got the gentle smile, the lovely voice, the spiritual personality to know when her child needs her, and a wonderful husband to aid her. Rachel contrasted herself to Phoebe as a mother. Sure, her smile was nice and her voice was soothing, but Rachel was not emotionally connected to Emma at all. She only bought her what she wanted so she wouldn't cry. And Rachel didn't have a husband. She had Ross, but it wasn't the same, she thought. When Emma talked about her parents at school, what was she supposed to say? They weren't married? Of course she would say that.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Joey and Phoebe walked out the door of the Central Perk laughing and talking about memories from many years ago. Rachel had been the one to guess that Phoebe and Joey would end up together. They were perfect friends. So were Monica and Chandler and they ended up getting married. When Mike had proposed though, Rachel wasn't disappointed. So what if Joey and Phoebe weren't in love like she and Ross, or Monica and Chandler? They were still friends. And Mike was wonderful, and maybe a little hot.

"Hey, Mon, we have to get the kids, right?" Chandler's voice broke up Rachel's day dreams.

Monica nodded and sipped the last from her coffee cup. "My mom is going to be so mad, Chandler! I told her we would be there at three!"

"Monica, it's okay, we'll just blame it on Ross, as always," Chandler grinned. "They love him!"

Ross shot Chandler a glare and Monica nodded her head in agreement. They picked up their coats, dropped a couple bucks on the table and walked out of the Central Perk quickly, also agreeing to bring Emma back from the Gellers' house.

"Wow they sure cleared out quickly," Rachel said to Ross, the only remaining of the group.

"I thought they'd never leave," he said as he kissed her.

She loved him. Absolutely loved him. Over so many years of just bouncing back and forth between cheating, or not cheating in Ross's opinion, one being single and the other taken, and the whole "I'm over him" thing, Rachel was just glad to have him. They had their kid and they had their apartment and they were in love. Rachel smiled, she didn't need to be irritated about not being married.

"You want another coffee?" Ross asked gently.

Rachel nodded and looked at the painting that hung in the corner. This was her Thinking Painting. Every time she came into this coffee shop over the past thirteen years or so, she had something on her mind. And when she had something on her mind, she looked at the painting. It wasn't much, just a coffee cup with steam coming up, much like the logo on the front window. But the color, the color was what drew Rachel in. Most of the coffee cups in the Central Park were round and some sort of pastel color, such as a pale yellow or a light green, but this cup was different. The cup itself was crimson red, but the background was black and white. Black and white, Rachel had said to herself many times. If only things were black and white, she had continued in her head every time she had looked at the painting. Then she thought a little more, as usual, and realized there was a reason the cup was red. For the most part, Rachel had explained to herself just like Ross had to explain things like physics and geometry to her, the background was black and white just like life. Most things are just there and easy to accept. But the big things, like the big cup in the painting, were red because they were the problems. And problems weren't black and white…

"Here, hon," Ross interrupted her thoughts while handing her a coffee cup.

Other than being upset that her thoughts were interrupted for the third time recently, she felt hopeful that the cup would be crimson. When she saw it was carnation pink, she dropped her shoulders just a little bit. She picked them back up again when she saw Ross looking right into her eyes. She smiled timidly and took the cup in her hands.

She took a sip and felt something with her tongue. "Hmm," she said aloud. She turned her body to the counter while still sitting on the couch. "Gunter, what did you put in here? You know how I like my coffee."

Gunter frowned, "I didn't put anything in there. I would never hurt you Rachel." He smiled the creepy smile that Rachel had become used to, but she was still concerned about her coffee. She took another sip and felt the same object with her tongue. What was it? She worried.

Rachel dipped her finger into the round cup and fished around for a little bit. She felt the hard object again and pulled it up. She gasped as she almost dropped the coffee cup onto the table. "Ross…" Rachel was speechless. "Is this yours?"

Ross grabbed the ring from her fingers and bent down as she remained on the couch. Her heart was emotionally full of some sort of liquid. While Ross was stuttering, Rachel was determined to know what the liquid was. Maybe joy. Or love? What if it wasn't something like that? What if it was actual body fluid like blood or something and she could pass out dead in half a second? She shook the thought and stared deep into Ross's eyes as he finally said, "Rachel, will you marry me?"

She thought. She didn't have long to reply, so she did it. "Yes."

They jumped up and hugged each other for a long time, while others who had seen the scene were clapping and whispering. Rachel noticed her eyes tearing up. Spoiled Rachel Green had finally gotten what she wanted: the man of her dreams to ask her to marry her in a romantic and not-cheesy way.

"Rachel, I love you," Ross said.


	5. Ross

"I did it!" Ross exclaimed as he burst through the door into Monica and Chandler's home. Monica and Chandler were still retrieving the children from his parents' house, he presumed but Joey dropped his magazine and jumped up from the couch.

"What did she say?" Joey asked.

Ross's smile turned into a scowl. "She said 'no,' Joey, that's why I burst through this door exclaiming, 'I did it!'"

"Aw man," Joey patted him on the back, "Wow, I'm sorry."

Joey turned around and reached for his magazine again when Ross put his hand on his shoulder. "Joe, stay with me here. I asked her to marry me. I came in here happy. Using your actual, hopefully functional brain, please tell me, what do you think she said?"

"Well, it seems like she said 'yes,' but you said she said 'no,' so I'm going with the eye-witness here."

Ross sighed. Joey had never learned the secret language of sarcasm. "Joey, I was kidding. She said 'yes.'"

Joey dropped his magazine and scooped Ross in a big, not uncomfortable hug. Ross embraced him back, all the while thinking of the several times they had hugged before. Joey wasn't so emotional, but he knew when to hug. Ross thought back to the time he first found out Carol was a lesbian and when Joey came over to his house with a 6-pack of beer and sat there with him on the couch. Sure he had expected Carol and her lesbian lover to be there, but he had still been there to comfort him. He also remembered several breakups and divorces he had gone through where Joey had been there to sit right beside him and cheer him up with that big, goofy smile of his. It was hard for Ross to admit it, being a man and all, but Joey was his best friend. His BFF. His amigo. And he had certainly acted like one.

As he released from the hug, Ross said, "Hey, Joey, I know the wedding is still a few months away or so, but would you like to be my co-best-man?"

"With Chandler right?" Joey asked.

Ross smiled, "Yeah, I just couldn't choose between my two best friends."

Several consecutive beeps went off, and Ross reached into his pocket. His cell phone. He noticed PHOEBE and her number on the front screen and he urgently flipped the phone open to answer.

"Phoebe?"

"Mike," the voice on the other end answered. "She's in labor, get everyone to the hospital. And bring the banner hidden in Monica's hall closet."

Ross slammed his phone shut without answering and dashed for the hall closet. He pulled out the 'it's a boy!' sign and gripped it firmly in his hands, all the while filling Joey in on the situation and frantically dialing Monica's cell phone number.

Half an hour later, Ross and Joey rushed through the hospital doors, banner in one hand and assorted baby items in the others. The calls had all been placed, and the adults were on their way. Emma, Jack, and Erica remained at the Gellers' house.

Joey squealed and Ross bit his nails while they checked in and got their visitor passes at the reception desk. Monica and Chandler burst in through the hospital entrance and quickly joined them at the reception desk.

Five minutes later, the four friends were rushing out of the elevator into the maternity waiting room. Mike stood there waiting to greet them.

"Hey guys! I have to go into the room with Phoebe, I just wanted to make sure you all got here…" Mike paused. "Where's Rachel?"

"Oh my goodness!" Ross shouted. He snapped out his phone and dialed Rachel's number. Embarrassed that he hadn't called sooner, he quickly explained the situation and closed his phone. "She's mad."

Chandler laughed, "That's a first."

The waiting room hadn't been all that much of a bore, Ross realized. He had gotten to share his engagement news with Monica and Chandler. He knew Rachel wanted to share it together, but he just couldn't wait. And she was already mad at him, so it wouldn't hurt him all that much. He had asked Chandler to be his co-best man, and he accepted. So Monica's wedding plans occupied the group while they sat in anxiety waiting for baby Hannigan to come.

"Can I see my friend?" Monica asked a nurse a few minutes after Mike left the waiting room. The nurse showed Monica into Phoebe's room and Ross sat in the waiting room. He picked up a baby magazine and thought about his own daughter. Four years ago, Ross and his friends had been waiting in this very room eagerly awaiting the birth of his daughter. He hadn't known her name, he hadn't even seen her, but he knew he was going to love her. He wondered if that's what was going through Mike's head right now.

In his turn to see Phoebe, he walked through the door and shut it smoothly. Phoebe was screaming in pain as he walked in, but smiled a little bit when she saw him. "Okay," the doctor said, "we'll check back again in a few minutes."

"I'm guessing you're going all natural?" Ross asked.

Phoebe frowned, "Unfortunately." She turned to Mike and said, "We are NOT doing this again."

Ross laughed. He knew Phoebe and Mike had only planned on one child, but now he was sure he would never see Phoebe pregnant again. After these next few hours, Phoebe wouldn't be her joyful little tubby self again.

"So Phoebes, got a name yet?" Ross asked.

"I don't even know what the sex is," she giggled. "If it's a girl, I'm thinking I want to name it Leena, but if it's a boy I like the name Mason."

"Wow, I like those names," Ross winked at Mike. Mason it was.

Phoebe screamed in agony and held her stomach and Ross inched out of the room slowly. This might be it, Ross thought. This could be the one push that would bring Mason into the world.

"She has a name!" Ross announced to the friends, and Rachel who had just walked in. Rachel was frowning but Ross continued, "Well, first off she said that if it was a girl, she would name it Leena."

"But it's not a girl…" Monica said.

Ross smiled, "Mason."

Joey jumped up from his seat and clapped a little. "Mason! That's a great name!"

Another ten minutes later, Mike appeared in the waiting room, wearing some scrubs and a surgical head cover and mask. "The baby's here!" he rejoiced.

Simultaneously, the group sprung from their seats and hugged him. After a minute or two of congratulations and hugging each other, Rachel finally asked, "Can we go in?" Mike nodded and they all bolted towards the delivery room.

The smile on Phoebe's face multiplied as she saw her friends rushing for the door of the delivery room. Ross immediately saw the blue bundle she held in her arms and was the first to get there. The baby's eyes were closed and he appeared to be sleeping. Mike kissed him on the forehead, and Phoebe said, "We've decided to name him Mason Orly Hannigan."

"Orly?" Chandler asked humorously.

"Yes," Phoebe nodded, "It means 'you are my light' in Hebrew."

Rachel and Monica 'aw'ed, while the men smiled.

"He really is a light," Monica added, smiling.


	6. Monica

Hot pink was a doubtful color, but Monica agreed it looked pretty neat on her. She stood in front of a full-length mirror in some swanky room looking at her simple, yet extravagant, pink dress. This was one of those moments she thanked God that she hadn't had her own children. She had a hot body. Monica laughed at that thought as it slipped through her head.

"Mommy, do I look pwetty?" Erica shouted in a question form as she opened the door, following Emma. The girls were wearing matching light pink dresses and flowers adorning their hair. Erica's bright flowers contrasted to the platinum blonde up-do she was so proud of.

"You look like a princess," Monica told her three-year-old daughter as she bent down to wipe a strand of hair from her bright blue eyes.

"Me too?" Emma asked.

"You too, darling," Monica answered. She stood straight and went to look at herself in the mirror again when Phoebe walked in. Monica smiled because again she remembered that she looked hot in her dress while Phoebe still hadn't achieved her skinny body back yet.

"Did you give him to my parents?" Monica asked. The Gellers had agreed to watch three-month-old Mason for the ceremony.

Phoebe laughed, "Yes and your mother looked like Queen Elizabeth accepting a bouquet of roses, standing there all pretty with her white gloves and gasping and pretending like she didn't even know I had a baby."

Monica laughed. Her mother just didn't know when to quit.

Rachel slowly opened the door and sang her own wedding music. She marched in, did a catwalk spin, and gracefully sat in front of a vanity mirror. Monica gawked in jealousy. She couldn't remember ever looking so gorgeous at her own wedding. Rachel's excited eyes complimented her shimmering make-up and the curly hair-do she had ordered the timid hair-dresser to perform. She wore a beautiful diamond necklace and her strapless dress was beaded with imitation diamonds. No train, she had demanded, but the hem subtly sat over her toes. Monica, of course, had argued that the shoes were completely pointless and that Rachel didn't need the grandest ones in the store, but Rachel insisted on buying $200 dollar bejeweled heels.

"You look amazing," Phoebe and Monica almost said in unison.

Rachel smiled, "Stop, I feel like I'm gonna cry and I don't want to ruin my make-up. I've never thought I'd get here… again. But I'm NOT running this time, even if rabid dogs are threatening to eat my perfect dress."

Monica giggled, "Rach…" she pointed at the man in a tuxedo peeking his head in the room motioning for the ceremony to start.

"That's you girls," Rachel practically fluttered out of her chair. Emma and Erica grabbed their white wicker baskets full of pink rose petals and quickly stepped through the door. Monica looked over at Rachel. No running now.

The man was back and now it was Monica and Phoebe's turn to step down that aisle. Monica opened the door first, and sunlight hit her eyes. She stepped with her short pink heel onto the soft grass and walked slowly just enough to link arms with Chandler. She'd been in a few weddings before, but this was the first time she got to walk down the aisle with Chandler. Spectators on both sides looked on with awe as the couple took turtle-speed steps to the altar. Monica looked to her right and saw Mike sitting with her parents and Mason in his car seat. She turned her head towards her destination and saw Emma and Erica joined hands with Jack and surprisingly not speaking or doing anything to ruin the moment.

They finally reached the center and Monica unhooked arms with Chandler so she could go stand on the left with her children and Chandler to the right, to stand by the groom. Ross. In her excitement for Rachel, she had completely forgotten about her emotions for her older brother being married for the fourth time. She'd been to two of the other weddings, (and honestly, she didn't feel like she missed much at the third) but this was the one she anticipated most. This was the one with the happy ending. Ross was finally in love for real, and Monica would do everything in her power to make sure this marriage didn't end in divorce. Ross looked amazing as well in his black tuxedo and pink vest. Yes of course, it wasn't his idea but Rachel insisted and he just joked that this wasn't his last wedding. Monica knew it was.

Phoebe joined Monica and Joey joined Ross and Chandler on the opposite side. Suddenly, the music changed, the people stood and a glimpse of white appeared from the house standing in the middle of the courtyard. Rachel. The diamonds of her dress reflected the sun and nearly blinded Monica from where she stood, about 50 yards away. In a frantic search for locations, Rachel picked this one because of the greenness of the grass. She didn't care about the shabby little building in the middle of the grass, or the perfect, distant view of New York City in the background, all Rachel cared about was the luscious green grass that she had to walk across to get to her husband.

Slowly, Rachel moved closer to the groom. The audience was now less surprised by her diamond-blazoned dress, especially since a small cloud had covered the sun. Monica glared at the shoes she barely saw. Rachel was right. They were wonderful and totally worth it. Rachel was at the altar now. For the following hours, Monica rejoiced over a few things. One: Rachel hadn't run away. Two: this was Ross's last wedding, so Monica could finally enjoy this one. Three: the weather was beautiful and the reception was graced by the presence of a slight wind. Four: Monica had not catered the reception… and people hated the food there. :)

The day was coming to a close and Monica looked over from the dance floor to see Joey sitting in a chair at the table. She excused herself from Chandler and walked over to him.

"What's wrong Joe?" Monica asked, hoping he had heard her.

He acted as if he hadn't and then finally looked up to say, "I'm the only one."

"What?" she asked.

"Out of all six of us, I'm the only one still single. What have I done wrong?"

"Joey, you know you haven't done anything wrong. Sure, you could blame it on your lack of commitment or your tendency to never be serious, but it's not actually your fault. You just haven't met the right woman."

"Monica, I've met plenty of women! How do I know which one is the right one?"

"Take a chance," Monica boldly stated. She didn't know exactly where the words came from but they sounded familiar and applicable.

"Excuse me," a soft voice said, "I hope I'm not interrupting. Um, I was just sitting over there, and I, uh, well the day's almost over and I've been dying to ask you to dance all night."

Monica looked up to see a petite woman smiling at Joey, nervously. Her dark brown hair fell softly on her pale face and her light blue dress made her green eyes glimmer.

"Oh no, not at all," Monica stood up from her chair. "By the way, he's single," she winked.

The girl giggled and as Monica was leaving she heard her say, "I'm Megan, I went to high school with Rachel and Ross…"

Monica turned on her bale heel (she had taken off her pretty shoes to go dancing of course). "Megan? Megan Cook?"

"Yeah… um that's me."

"Oh my goodness! It's me, Monica! I did not even recognize you," Monica introduced herself.

Megan's eyes brightened and she stared at Monica, "Wow, you look so… skinny!"

Monica laughed, "Well you're one to talk! I haven't seen you since you dropped out to have your baby."

Megan laughed shyly, "Yeah, my daughter Bridget. Can you believe she's already eighteen? Just graduated!"

"Oh my…" Monica glanced at Joey and noticed his unique interest in Megan. "Well I should probably let you two dance, we can catch up later Megan." She smiled to herself while walking away, because Monica knew that Megan was perfect for him.

Monica was about to go find Chandler again when she heard Joey say, "Well, mostly I'm an actor, but I've decided to take a break and start on my modeling career…"


	7. Joey CONCLUSION

Exintaris: I realized that I was sort of thinking of Valerie Bertinelli, except more petite and a little paler. If that helps you visualize.

"What? Seriously?" Joey asked, surprised.

Megan nodded and smiled. Joey had fallen in love with that smile the first time he saw it, only about four months ago.

"So I'm guessing you're as happy as I am about it?"

"Of course," Megan said. "I've never had a baby with a man I actually loved before. The only connection I had with Bridget's father was child support money, which he barely paid anyways."

Joey held his hand on Megan's stomach and smiled. Forty-something years old and Joey Tribbiani was finally settling down, with the woman he loved and a baby on the way.

"I hope it looks like you," Joey said as he pushed Megan's brown hair out of her eyes.

"I love you," she said and kissed him.

The months after flew by for Joey. His career was taking off as he was getting more attention as a middle-aged tuxedo model. It paid pretty well, like he was the next George Clooney. He moved out of Monica and Chandler's house and into Megan's apartment. He had painted the baby's room… blue. Another boy in his circle of friends.

Just like Mike, Joey's friends had inducted Megan as an honorary member. Of course she wasn't an original, but she was there and there would still accept her. The other friends knew that this was the one for Joey. This was why God had made Joey move back to New York. This was love and fate and all those other things that make people so scared. But Joey wasn't scared. It was like he was just floating along the minute he held Megan close to him on the dance floor at Ross and Rachel's wedding.

It took him a few months after he had learned of the pregnancy to save up money, but he bought the most beautiful ring for Megan. They would be married as soon as she got her petite figure back, after having the baby.

From the moment he had met Megan, Joey knew his mind wouldn't stop spinning. From love to pregnancy to friends and all that would come in future years, Joey knew that he had finally had his happy ending.

So Joey was blessed with the birth of his son, Brody Joseph Tribbiani. He remembered exactly the moments leading up to the birth. Joey had been watching some TV in the living room late at night, eating some fritos, while Megan slept in the bedroom. She had to be to work early the next day and Joey had the TV volume down really low. The bag of chips flew from Joey's hands and knocked over his beer when Megan wailed from the bedroom.

"Joey! The baby's coming!" Megan shouted in excitement as she appeared in the hallway, her water broken.

Although exhausted and lazy, Joey jumped from his couch and helped her to the car. Many hours later, and Joey saw his son for the first time. He was covered in blood and he was wrinkly, but Joey knew that his life was complete in some way. He had never thought that having a kid would make him feel so satisfied, but Joey instantly knew that it did.

He held his son in his arms for the first time, and Joey cried. He wasn't ashamed of his tears because he wasn't sad. He thanked God, the God that he had visited every Sunday reluctantly with his catholic family, and cried more. He knew that that would be one of the best moments of his life.

And looking back many years later, he wouldn't have had it any other way. Years later everything was fine. There had been minor blemishes in his life, like his sister Gina getting an STD and some financial struggles, but Joey knew that the real battle had been won. He even knew the secret to his happiness. Joey took his reluctant son to church with him every Sunday, so he would have someone to thank when he held his own baby in his hands one day.

Short short chapter. But I thought it was pretty nice. Review a lot because this is the end of the story. There's no sequels. No more chapters. Just this. Thanks for reading up 'til now. Read my other stories if you want to.


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